2006, EuropaCorp
Animation
Rating: PG
Approx. 93 mins.
THE STORY:
Pre-pubescent Arthur (Freddy Highmore) lives on a dilapidated farm with his grandmother (Mia Farrow) somewhere in the American mid-west. His parents are in the city trying to scrounge some money, and his grandfather has disappeared on one of his exploratory quests.
While Arthur is obsessed with his grandfather's tales of faraway magical lands and hidden treasure, his grandmother is preoccupied with trying to prevent repossession of their home. Their interests collide when Arthur heads off in search of gems his grandfather claimed to have found and hidden somewhere on the property.
His journey takes him into a fantastical world inhabited by tiny Minimoys, a race of human-ish creatures. Arthur befriends the prince (Jimmy Fallon) and falls for his sister, Princess Selenia (Madonna), and his affection for the Minimoys leads him to help them defeat the evil Maltazard (David Bowie) who threatens their existence.
Arthur emerges from his adventure with some new friends, a fistful of rubies, a grandfather, and the power to save the family homestead.
While Arthur is obsessed with his grandfather's tales of faraway magical lands and hidden treasure, his grandmother is preoccupied with trying to prevent repossession of their home. Their interests collide when Arthur heads off in search of gems his grandfather claimed to have found and hidden somewhere on the property.
His journey takes him into a fantastical world inhabited by tiny Minimoys, a race of human-ish creatures. Arthur befriends the prince (Jimmy Fallon) and falls for his sister, Princess Selenia (Madonna), and his affection for the Minimoys leads him to help them defeat the evil Maltazard (David Bowie) who threatens their existence.
Arthur emerges from his adventure with some new friends, a fistful of rubies, a grandfather, and the power to save the family homestead.
QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:
- Oh my God.
VIOLENCE:
- intense battle scene, and some of the bad guys appear to be killed
TEACHING POINTS:
- nothing significant
THE UPSHOT:
Luc Besson. David Bowie. David Suchet. Jimmy Fallon. Robert De Niro. Harvey Keitel. Jason Bateman. Some impressive names associated with this one; and yet....
I found the lead child actor irritating, the story maudlin, the characters undeveloped, and the animation not to my taste-- very anime-inspired female aesthetic that disturbs me. I liked exactly 1 thing about this movie: David Bowie, who provides the only good acting. The 5 year-old in the room didn't really engage with the story or characters, and thought it was "Just OK." And that is just OK with me.
I found the lead child actor irritating, the story maudlin, the characters undeveloped, and the animation not to my taste-- very anime-inspired female aesthetic that disturbs me. I liked exactly 1 thing about this movie: David Bowie, who provides the only good acting. The 5 year-old in the room didn't really engage with the story or characters, and thought it was "Just OK." And that is just OK with me.
2/5
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